Water Reliability 2020 is a program to reduce dependence on less reliable imported water to coastal LA from 66% all the way down to 33% by the year 2020.
We will achieve our Water Reliability goals by more than doubling our effort to recycle water, double our conservation efforts, increase our programs to educate our youth about conservation and begin an ocean-water desalination program.
Why do we need to reduce our dependence on imported water?
There are several reasons to take more control of our local water supplies: We live in an area with reoccurring droughts that will have more impact in the future due to more people. Our state population continues to grow and it is our families having families, so we must deal with likely water shortages. The state water system that moves water here from northern California was designed to serve 18 million people. Today it serves 37 million people. The hub of the water system, the Bay Delta, is broken and there is no quick solution in sight. There is, and will be in the future, the need to provide water for the environment, further reducing available supplies. Our massive water systems need to be adapted to climate change. Finally, there are challenges on the Colorado River system, our other major source of imported water, and those challenges will only get worse in the future.
What are some of the benefits of investing in Water Reliability 2020?
The benefits are many: We will have improved water reliability for sustainable cities. We will prevent future rationing or water restrictions from droughts or other water emergencies. We will have guaranteed water for industry and the economy. By producing water locally, we can make our water supply more reliable and control more of our water future at the same cost of less reliable imported water – and we can save energy too. We will lessen the strain the state’s Bay Delta and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California who imports our water to our area. Finally, over time, it will improve our water quality.
Learn more about WR 2020
Click here to learn how you can help secure a reliable water future
Do it for our children and our grandchildren!
To schedule a Water Reliability 2020 speaker for your organization or community group, please email info@westbasin.org or call 310-217-2411.